A whale beached on the Fife coast has had to be humanely killed after rescuers were unable to save it.
The young minke whale was discovered in the Firth of Forth near Crombie Point at around 8am this morning, just as the tide was going out.
Rescuers from British Divers Marine Rescue, Fife Fire and Rescue Service and HM Coastguard tried for hours to calm the animal as it lay on the shore.
However, after an assessment by a vet, the decision was taken to kill the whale to prevent it from further suffering.
Corinne Gordon from British Divers Marine Life Rescue said the team had a 12-hour window to get the whale afloat again and would have had to wait too long for the tide to come back in.